


Canon Of Lies

by Carunko



Category: Free!
Genre: Christmas, Fluff, Gift, Lies literally lots of them, Light Angst, Literally you will die of diabetes, M/M, and haru is just haru, rin is oblivious af, rinharu - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-25
Updated: 2015-12-25
Packaged: 2018-05-09 03:20:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,384
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5523506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Carunko/pseuds/Carunko
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>If he was ever asked if he was good at lying, the answer would come as easily to him as dawn raised every morning. Yes. He was, indeed, a master of lies. This is the story of Rin Matsuoka. A guy who let things go too far, because his mom always told that half-trues were bad and that hurting with truth was better than to kill with a lie.</p><p>Rin Matsuoka was never one to listen to his mother.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Canon Of Lies

If he was ever asked if he was good at lying, the answer would come as easily to him as dawn raised every morning. Yes. He was, indeed, a master of lies. This is the story of Rin Matsuoka. A guy who let things go too far, because his mom always told that half-trues were bad and that hurting with truth was better than to kill with a lie.

Rin Matsuoka was never one to listen to his mother.

  
-  
**Canon of Lies**

The chilly wind of winter whistled all around the corners of Iwatobi. The sky was painted in white clouds with the dull shining of the sun behind them. The weather wasn’t that suitable to be last days of December, those where the snow was supposed to be falling and the Christmas carol’s made everything much warmer; but in that moment, snow wasn’t falling and the only sound that Rin heard was the monotone music of the train station. Lately every Christmas was becoming even more boring with each year he aged, in this edition of 2015, his holiday spirits were those in comparison to a brick. Not even the cheerful decoration that were spread all through his house (work by Gou and his mother) was enough to put him in the mood.

  
It was just impossible to feel all jolly and Christmas-y with the last days of school before winter break, which obviously could only mean one thing in high school students universal language. Finals.

  
And it killed him, for mainly two reasons:  
1\. He just wasn’t prepared for the stress  
2\. HE JUST WASN’T PREPARED FOR STRESS

  
He already had to rearrange all documents from the swim club, because according to Sousuke ‘that was part of the captain’s work who I believe is strong enough for this’, study which drained the last bit of effort that was left in him and there was also…that.  
-

  
He just doesn’t remember how he got to agree to ‘that’. It started as a small meeting at Haru’s house, which by the way he just happened to be close to of course -not that he wanted to see them or anything- that Rin thought he might as well drop by to say hi and wish them happy holidays (Maybe Rei could bless him with good grades). He was immediately attacked into a round of greetings as the owner of the house where said meeting was taking place, opened the front door; he felt the heat radiating from inside the building, but it could also be the effect that Haru’s presence always had on Rin’s body and mind. He just wouldn’t admit it out loud any time soon. Maybe never.

  
“Yo” Rin said as a general greeting that felt more personal than anything

  
“You’re late” Haru said as an answer.

  
‘Typical of this guy’ the red-head thought while allowing himself inside. Everyone was sitting around the Kotatsu with legs hidden underneath the thick blanket that seemed warm enough for them all.

There was Makoto who was smiling gently his way, Nagisa that was like usually all over Rei annoying the poor individual that, by the way, was trying to hold his cup of tea with a determination against Nagisa’s constant pushing.

  
“Hey Rin! How are finals treating you?” Makoto asked with a friendly mocking tone.

 

 _ **-Tell the truth** _  
_-Lie_

 

“To be honest, I’m ninety percent fucked” Makoto laughed with a hint of compassion to him.

  
“We all have that in common, Rin-chan!” Nagisa cheerily said, being more than proud with the seventies and sixties that made him pass. “Even Rei-chan isn’t doing that well, in Literature he got a seventy ei-“

  
“That’s enough Nagisa-kun!” Rei retorted cutting off the non-beautiful grade that he got last time in Literature. He still has nightmares about his mother’s face. They all shared a laugh, even Haru contributed with a light snort and a hidden smile. Not that Rin was checking that out, completely the opposite.

  
“Seems like we are all going to fail epically” Rin dejectedly said over the facts. Well, it wasn’t as if everyone was excellent at finals, so at least he found a little comfort on that.

  
“It’s not like we can do anything about it” Haru said calmly sipping the warm green tea, as if he wasn’t the second one with lowest grades of them all. Everyone remained in a comfortable silence, Rin took the chance and claimed the empty spot that was facing front to Makoto while Haru, Rei and Nagisa were by both the sides.

  
“AHH! I KNOW!” Nagisa nearly shouted on Rin’s ear, startling them all.

  
“What it is Nagisa?” Makoto said warily, clenching the Kotatsu’s fabric in his hand, surely scared that a ghost or the like had been the possibility of Nagisa’s shriek.

  
“WE CAN! WE CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!” Nagisa kept on making his voice louder.

  
“Nagisa, lower your voice” Haru said with an irritated hint, taking the empty cups and standing up from his place going forward to leave the dirty dishes in the sink.

  
“What do you mean by that? Because I’m not hacking the school system again, remember that last tim- “

  
“That was totally your fault Rei-chan!”

  
“Wait, hacking the system-what?” Rin mentioned out loud, truly confused over Rei and Nagisa’s secret lives.

  
“A great story for another time!” Nagisa quickly interrupted and proceeded “What I actually was talking about is, with Christmas so near, and as you know we all are pretty much ninety percent fricky-fruck as Rin-chan said, why don’t we instead of sulking on it, make a celebration about it?” The blonde excitedly proposed as he watched everyone for an answer or a reaction.

 

 _-Tell the truth_  
**_-Lie_ **

 

“I’m not sulking over finals” Rin said with a confidence that made it look as if he actually meant what he said.

  
“Hey, but don’t you think our parents, with that grades, wouldn’t let us?” Makoto stated the problem that he knew deep inside was troubling everyone.

  
“They don’t have to know you know! A little lie here-and-there won’t kill them, they will know about the bad grades anyway, so why don’t we just hide them and let them know about them after the party?” Nagisa stated as if the solution was so simple and obvious to do, Rin was sure no one would agree anyway.

  
“Actually it is not that bad of an idea, what do you say Haru?” Makoto stated

  
“I could pull that off; I’m not failing anything anyway” Rei collaborated. Oh hell no. He only had Haru left, which was mostly a fifty-fifty chance whether he would agree or not, Rin would have to put all his hope in him.

  
“I don’t have any plans”

  
_‘You had one job, Haru’_ Rin thought

  
“What about you Rin-chan?”

 

 _-Tell the truth_  
**_-Lie_ **

 

“I actually planned to hang out with Sousuke for this days” Rin said feeling bad for lying but in all honesty he wasn’t in the mood or willing to attend a Christmas party this year, maybe never. Also these recent feelings he had about the boy whose blue gaze he usually seemed to want more and more, were becoming the main source of his distractions.

  
“Well, you can bring Sousuke along!” Nagisa chirped

  
‘Well, fuck.’ Rin thought, trying to come off with a better excuse but instead decided to go for an actual half-truth

  
“I could do that, but Samezuka’s grade giving isn’t as easy as Iwatobi’s. Parents are called personally to announce the final’s results or if you failed anything, so in my case, there’s not much I can do about it” Rin explained while seeing how everyone faces went from hopeful to disappointment in less than one sentence.

  
Until Rei suddenly stood up, went to Haru’s living room and took the phone.

  
“Rin-senpai, would you be so kind to give me your house’s number?” The blue haired male said with determination that Rin couldn’t do anything but dictate it while the other male typed it carefully into the buttons. The silence stretched into the room while Rei took his time and finally brought the phone to his ear.

  
“What do you think you are doing Rei?! Why are you calling my hou-“ Rin was cut off by the ringing tone of his cellphone vibrating in his pocket. He warily took the phone out and checked the ID. Indeed, the name ‘Haru’ showed in the screen.

  
“It’s called ‘call redirecting’, you just chose a certain number from certain person to be redirected to another device” Rei explained pushing his glasses further up the bridge of his nose in an intellectual gesture.

  
“Rei you are genius!” Makoto said patting him on the back

  
“Now Rin-chan can go!” Nagisa celebrated

  
No way. He was not letting this happen. He couldn’t cope with the anxiety of finals, a party and having Haru near for so much time, he had to find a better lie or he definitely would-

  
“Wait just a sec-“

  
“You will go Rin, right?” Haru spoke with a hopeful tone as if those words only belonged to Rin alone. The air stuck in his throat by Haru’s eyes and he knew. He knew that he had to say no, but he also knew that he couldn’t, not to this person that made him doubt if he existed only to know him.

 

 **_-Tell the truth_ **  
_-Lie_

 

“I’ll try”  
With Haru it all became a big mess inside his head.  
-

  
So because of that series of events, he know found himself at 8:00 p.m. on December 24th standing in the cutting cold daggers of winter in an almost empty train station, waiting for Makoto and the only reason he actually agreed to this. Said reason was already 30 minutes late and counting; almost in the brim of giving up, ready to go back home and have a nice session with a cup of coffee and chick flicks, Rin heard the soft shout behind him.

  
“Rin” Haru said approaching closer each moment

  
“You’re late” The red-head said as a comeback from the last time at Haru’s house

  
“The mackerel burnt and I couldn’t find my scarf”

  
‘Obvious priorities in this idiot’s head’, Rin thought. He checked out the simple outfit that consisted on a navy blue coat and black jeans fitting to his figure, it was incredible how Haruka achieved to look good even in such ordinary clothes. Makoto on the other hand was using a…

  
“Wait, where’s Makoto?”

  
“He said he’ll arrive later, his parent’s made him stay for dinner”

  
Makoto wasn’t stupid and Rin wasn’t either. Haru had just forgotten the little fact that Makoto’s parents were out of the city, so there was no way his parent’s had made him stay. The green-eyed boy seemed to space out always but he indeed noticed everyone’s behavior. He must have noticed his ‘little’ crush on Haru and decided to take action.

  
“You…let’s just get in the train already” Rin said while the train they were waiting, as if an almost perfect timing, arrived and opened its door for both of them. Haru went behind him and, blame him, but he felt that Haru was a little bit reluctant, as if Rin had said something wrong. They went ahead and claimed both seats at the second wagon, on the opposite side of the entrance where they came from. The train was fresh and so warm that it made Rin a bit drowsy, at the moment he moved his gaze to Haruka and see if he was feeling sleepy too but instead his eyes fixated themselves on the scarf Haru was wearing.

  
Moreover, his scarf. Well, the one he had given him as a gift.

  
“That scarf…” Rin muttered unknowingly which made Haru’s head pop up and set his eyes on the other male.

  
“Do you remember?” Haru asked with a glint of hope in his voice. He had two options. He could say yes and affront his feeling once for all or say no and let it go simple, Haruka would either accept his love or reject it, it always seemed like two options and he never seemed to pick the right one

 

 _-Tell the truth_  
**_-Lie_ **

 

“No, It’s just that it looks warm, should I know something about it?” Rin asked with an almost real doubt in his voice. Haruka’s eyes slowly lowered and lost the glint they had. His head turned to the front again and he muttered a low ‘no, I got confused’ and fell into an uncomfortable silence. Had he done the wrong choice this time?

  
No other word was shared in the train travel, maybe because there weren’t enough or just because Rin was afraid that his lies wouldn’t help him this time.  
-

  
The place of reunion was a small Karaoke called “Nezu!” inside the city, teenagers that were over 18 tended to assist there for innocent parties with some alcohol but in general, it was a calm place that worked perfectly for nice reunions. Especially in dates like Christmas, the place tended to be full of people with no available rooms; but Nagisa’s magic (as he called it) got them a private one that was almost in the farthest part.

  
Rin had to admit, the place was nice. There were three orange sofas around a black table in the middle of the place. the table had trivial things such as the remote control, two microphones, a bucket of beer, some water bottles, a plate full of small snacks; and right in front of it all, laid the big T.V. that projected the lyrics of each song as the default music played on the background.  
“This is really nice” Makoto said while closing the door behind after the five of them entered, kind of amazed by the warm and comfortable ambience of the place.

  
“Well, what are we waiting for! Let’s party guys!”

  
“We shouldn’t be celebrating Christmas with us failing finals but if it’s just once I guess it’s okay” Rei said while getting the other microphone that Nagisa offered to him.

  
Rin sat down comfortably next to Haruka unconsciously, trying not to think about the train incident, but in all truth, the atmosphere around them felt tense. Rin tried to set his eyes somewhere so they feel on Makoto who was smiling to him, already aware that Rin knew about the thing he did at the train station. He couldn’t help but roll his eyes and think if what Makoto did, just didn´t make things worse. He decided he would just fuck it all as he grabbed a beer bottle, opened it with his sharp teeth and drank a big shot in one gulp.  
-

  
The night went pretty much with everyone taking a round of singing, even Rin stood up and sang some songs (with the effects of alcohol already running to his brain). Everyone taking one beer after another, Nagisa being the first one to be completely drunk out of his mind, in all reality everyone was a little bit more carefree, even Haruka who had only had some bottles of water, because ‘Beer tasted like cold piss’ let some of his restraints go and laughed more openly.

  
“Everyone has sung so beautifully” Rei said, talking a bit sluggishly.

  
“Not everyone has sung yet! Haru-chan sing for us” Nagisa said while putting one arm around Rei’s shoulders and moving side by side.

  
“I don’t want to sing alone” Haru said glancing sideways and Rin could have sworn that his eyes were pleading to him, be it or not the effects of alcohol, he would sing with Haru tonight.

  
“I’ll sing with you” Rin said while standing up, stumbling a bit on his step and grabbing Haru’s hand. The dark haired male cheeks rose to a pink even though he hadn’t had any drink. Rin set up one song and they both began singing to the top of their lung; it felt like a competence over who sang better than who. When the song ended, Rin noticed he had come to the point of being so close to Haru, that he had an arm around his waist; his heartbeat skipped a beat as he decided to quickly remove his hand with the discretion of a cannon.

  
Rin walked toward the same sofa he was before and settling his body there again, the place next to him sunk with added weight and Haru’s body was there next to him. He looked stunning Rin admired. While he drank a bottle of water, His hair was kind of disheveled and his eyes were closed letting the long eyelashes stand out in his face; also the way his throat moved with each gulp made Rin want to kiss his slender pale neck.

  
When his thoughts came to his senses, Rin moved his gaze and took a sip of the beer bottle he had been drinking previously.

  
“You sing really well” Haruka said after he finished his water and looked at Rin with sparkling eyes. He was being complimented by Haru, what else could he ask? But moreover what could he say, he didn’t want to ruin it again like last time.

 

 _ **-Tell the truth** _  
_-Lie_

 

“You don’t sing too bad yourself” He said while putting his arm around Haru’s shoulder like he usually did. He glanced at Haru who stayed silent and when his eyes caught his face, Rin had the sudden impulse to kiss him, right there and now.

  
Haru was giving the sweetest smile he had seen and muttered a small “thanks” at his comment. His half-assed comment made Haruka so happy and he just couldn’t he needed to tell him, he wanted him to know.

  
“Haru, I-“

  
“Rin-chan, Haru-chan, what do you say?” Nagisa cut off, breaking the little trance they had between themselves. He was confused and he didn’t want people to suspect what was just happening, so he just went ahead and said

  
“Yes, I’m on”

  
What could go wrong?  
-

  
Everything could go wrong at this type of games and that he knew by experience. It was an ordinary ask-ask dynamic in where one person asked a question and all the persons playing had to answer it with truth, and in all honesty, truth wasn’t his favorite thing. Also, it seemed that his lying abilities seemed to fail in this kind of games.

  
“Okay first question: What is your biggest fear?” Nagisa asked while he wiggled his fingers in a bad spook gesture.

  
“Ghost” Makoto said. That wasn’t quite truth but Rin decided to keep the sea out of this.

  
“Spiders” Rei said

  
“Drought” Haruka said

  
It was his turn, but he was blank.

 

 **_\- Tell the truth_ **  
_\- Lie_

 

“Ships” Rin said. No one commented

The question kept on going one by one. Some of them where as simple as a ‘What is your favorite food’ which cause laughter to bubble within them at Haruka’s obvious response or some others went deep as “Do you believe in Miracles”. And Rin lied, because that was the best thing he could do, but he also tried to say truth. But there weres some question in where he just couldn’t, in where his fears reigned over who he really was. Like…

“Do you like someone?”

  
The room was filled with silence over Makoto’s question, it was clearly their own decision if you told but it was still as hard to answer. And Rin just felt like banging for the first time, Makoto’s head against the wall.

  
“Yes” Nagisa said in an excited but reluctant voice.

  
“Yes” Rei also said blushing till the tip of his ears.

  
And there it was, Haru’s turn. Because in the very inside he knew he only was waiting for this answer, to see those lips pronounce a ‘no’

  
“Yes”

  
Rin felt as if someone had hit him with a bat, because there was just no way that ‘yes’ belonged to him. So when the eyes set on him to announce his turn, he swallowed the knot in his throat.

 

- _Tell the truth_  
**_\- Lie_**

 

“No” He pronounced and the words tasted bittersweet in his tongue. He unconsciously turned to see Haru and saw that his eyes were set on the floor, like in the train. Why did that make Rin feel like he chooses the wrong option again?

  
“God, we are such lovebirds. My question, who do you think each of us like?”

  
_‘Great question, Nagisa’_ Rin thought sarcastically.

  
“I think Rei likes me and Haru likes Saba-chan” Nagisa said and everyone but them both erupted in laughter in between cries of Rei saying “Stop it!” and Makoto saying “Now, now we all know”. Rin all the time was just pondering what he would say when his turn came up. He couldn’t tear his heart apart like that, he just couldn’t tell the truth.

  
“So, Rin-chan who do you think likes who?” Nagisa asked with a little smirk in his devilish face.

 

 _\- Tell the truth_  
**_\- Lie_ **

 

He was such a masochist

  
“We all know Nagisa and Rei are made for each other” Rin said mockingly while Nagisa giggled and Rei sighed for the thousandth time. He could feel Haru’s intense gaze on him for an answer he didn’t know if would be able to give.

  
“And as for Haru, maybe a cute girl or Saba-chan? Who know with him?”

  
They all laughed and Rin heard it. But he didn’t hear anything from Haru, not a huff or a ‘shut up’ and he was afraid to look at him. Because Haru’s eyes always told the truth behind what he was trying to say, and if he looked into them, he would know that Haruka’s ‘yes’ would never be his. Instead of hearing, he saw by the corner of his eye how the black haired male stood and without a word, left the room.

  
Everyone set into silence and Rin just could think one sentence all over again in his head as a replay button:  
_‘I fucked up’_

  
“Rin-chan” Nagisa said smiling gently in a way he usually doesn’t, waking the freezing state he was in.

  
“Go”

  
He didn’t want that closure he just didn’t; so in a hurry, he stood and ran out the door that Haru had just walked through. Rin ran all the hallway of the karaoke in a sprint that earned him a few ‘Be careful’ or ‘Look where you are going!’. As hell he cared, all he cared was to find Haru, not because he had anything to say, but because he felt he should and for once, at least today, he was going to let himself obey his heart and not his reason. Because the only truth is that every Christmas is dull because Haru is not there beside him and that he has been in love with him all his life. He will stop lying to Haruka, but moreover, to himself.

  
When he reached the outside of the Karaoke, the city lights and the Christmas songs vibrated now in the streets. And Haru was standing there, between it all and even between all that light he seemed to be the only thing shining for Rin.

  
He slowly approached and stood face to face with him. He was going to let this game of truth or lie be over.

  
“Let’s play truth or lie” He said, looking straight into Haruka’s eyes, they seemed puffy and hurt. How could he be so insensible?

  
“Okay, did you actually have plans?”

 

**_-Tell the truth_ **

 

“Lie” He said and an incredible weight was beginning to lift from his shoulders. Haruka took a step closer.

  
“You didn’t remember the scarf”

 

  
_**\- Tell the truth** _

 

“Lie, I gave it to you as a gift your last birthday, I chose blue because it fits with your eyes” Rin said and Haruka took another step, the red-head gather the courage and took a hold of Haruka’s scarf between his fingers.

“Do I sing well?”

 

**_\- Tell the truth_ **

 

He couldn’t help but huff in a laugh, now he was the one taking a step closer.  
“True”

“You are afraid of ships?”

 

_**\- Tell the truth** _

 

“Truth, my dad died in one of them” He said with hurt seeping through his tone but rapidly that feeling was overpowered by the warmth of Haru’s hand on his cheek, Rin set both his eyes on blue ones and stared in his intense gaze.

“You don’t like somebody?”

 

_**\- Tell the truth** _

 

“Lie”

  
He hadn’t noticed how the snow started to fall or the big tree behind them lit up, it all seemed like a cliché, but right here, with Haru in front of him shining as the stars themselves and finally letting all his canon of lies go, he couldn’t even feel the cold as he leaned closer to Haru and raised both hands placing them either side of the other’s head.

“You like someone?” Rin unexpectedly asked, voice low and dreamy to Haruka’s ears, as he held his head gently between his hands.

  
“Truth” Haru said and Rin knew he could believe it because the moment that he stopped lying to Haruka, was the moment he stopped lying to him. There was an almost ethereal pause and the Christmas carols sang in the background as a distant sound to the world they were in now. Haru stood his hand on his cheek and Rin had his head between his hands, only one step away. He could feel the black-haired male’s breath over his lips as he raised his head to completely see Rin’s face.

“You love me, Truth or lie?”

 

**_-Tell the truth_ **

 

“Truth” Rin said as he closed the gap between their skins and both their lips connected in a puzzle of found truths, and if this wasn’t heaven, tell Rin what the hell is better than to have Haru’s lips over his own, to tangle his fingers in his hair and to feel the cute way he tiptoes a little to reach his own mouth. What feels better than to have the Christmas lights looking so dull in comparison to Haru’s eyes when they parted from a kiss?

“Merry Christmas, Rin” Haruka said hugging Rin, burying his face between the crook of his neck and his shoulder, as Rin held his waist tight, never wanting to let go.

“Merry Christmas, Haru”

 

**_\- Tell the truth_ **

 

“I love you”

  

**Author's Note:**

> Glad you read and hope you like it, this was a gift for Rinbae.tumblr for the sharkbait christmas exchange, this was fun.


End file.
